Husky – Punchbuzz

Melbourne duo Husky spent a year in Berlin soaking up the sounds, flavor, and energy of the city, all of which shaped their third release, Punchbuzz, out today. Inspired by the late Berlin nights in which the songs were born, the ten-track LP reveals a more dynamic, rock-driven sound for Husky, a divergence from their traditional folk origins.

Singer/guitarist Husky Gawenda and keyboardist/collaborator Gideon Preiss took up residency in a 13th floor Berlin apartment with a large balcony overlooking the city. Gawenda would stay up all night writing under the moonlight. “There’s something about the nighttime, something happens when the sun goes down,” says Gawenda. “Reason and logic depart, magic and mystery arrive.”

You can hear that bewitching magic and mystery on tracks like the driving “Late Night Store,” the quixotic “Cut The Air” and the fluttering “Spaces Between Heartbeats.” These tracks have an air of possibility to them, there’s the wonder and excitement of the unknown and also moments of fear and hesitation that can rest within this space of uncertainty. Ultimately there’s an optimism that rings throughout the record.

After their whirlwind year in Berlin, Husky returned home to Melbourne where they immediately went into the studio to form all their ideas. One late night as Gawenda was lying in bed, the name of the album came to him — Punchbuzz. “It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a real word — the same way dreams don’t have to make sense. It captured something about the record. It just felt right.”

Walking in their ancestor’s footsteps, breathing in the history of the city, making their own memories, and writing songs; read on below about the places that shaped Husky’s stay in Berlin, and ultimately Punchbuzz.

Head over to Culture Collide to view the original post and to read the interview.